


Rebirth

by shadowlancer_95



Series: No need to fear when Percy is near [4]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, BAMF Percy, BAMF Rhodey, BAMF Tony Stark, Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Percy Angst, Percy Feels, Percy is a Good Bro, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Rhodey Is a Good Bro, Tags will be added in later on, Tony Feels, Tony Is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-11 07:56:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7039579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowlancer_95/pseuds/shadowlancer_95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony contemplates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, this is the fourth in this series, and will be a multi-chapter - although maybe about four chapters max.
> 
> Either way, I am working on a sequel to Aftermath - yes, your awesome comments actually kickstarted me into writing something. It won't be up for awhile though, but hopefully I can finish writing it soon :D
> 
> In the meantime, please enjoy this story!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or Marvel. Not now, not in the foreseeable future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, sorry about the confusion, there was some technical error earlier and somehow Chapter 2 got posted as both Chapter 1 AND 2. I've corrected it now, so enjoy reading and do please leave a review on your way out! :)

Tony fiddled with the flip phone that Steve mailed to him, the spark of anger igniting within him every time he looked at it. The man rubbed a finger over the screen, the plastic squeaking every time he clenched his fist too hard. Tony gave one last glance at the phone, then dumped it in the drawer, instructing FRIDAY not to open it under any circumstances. Steve Rogers had made his decision, Tony didn't need to rely on him. No, he may have helped turn in the evidence to exonerate them, but Tony Stark wasn't a saint. They had made their choices, and he had seen their true colors for what they were.

Family my ass, Tony thought viciously. He had given them everything – his time, his tower, his money. Everything he had done, he'd done for them. But at the first sight of trouble, they turned tail and ran, leaving him in the dust to pick up after them.

Well, he sneered mentally, this was the last time he'd do so. He hadn't cleared their names for them, he'd done it for himself. Tony could admit that he made a mistake when it came to the Accords – that he'd handled the situation wrongly. He could agree to fixing what he broke – far better than what Rogers did – but he was _done_ cleaning up after the Avengers. He had the UN publicly renounce their criminal status, but their actions would forever be remembered in the hearts of the people.

On days where he was feeling especially vindictive, he'd even think that they deserved it. To feel the hate and anger he always received from the people they were meant to protect.

Sometimes Tony wondered if Steve thought he was an idiot. Sending him an untraceable phone was only effective if he didn't know where the rogue hero was. Tony had burned the letter after reading it, vaguely wondering at Steve's stupidity at sending him physical evidence of their contact. If Ross had found the letter… It would be a miracle that Tony remained alive.

The genius sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

This was one whole clusterfuck right from the start.

The only good thing that came out of it was that he now had a new personal assistant in the form of one Percy Jackson.

Just the thought of that chased away his dark mood and made a mischievous smile curve on his face. "Hey aquaboy!" Tony hollered, knowing the kid could hear him, "Cancel all my appointments for today! This body needs to be nourished with some partying."

" _No."_ a voice hissed from the doorway.

Tony swiveled around in his chair, the grin on his face faltering at the green-eyed demon stalking towards him. "You have an appointment with Mr Sachiko that you have canceled and rescheduled three times alone, there's about a dozen board meetings that you haven't attended at all for the past month, and there are at least twenty calls from Miss Potts that you haven't answered." Percy snarled, stopping right in front of Tony, "So _no_ , you are _not_ canceling anything today, you are going to attend your appointments even if it's the last thing you do."

Tony just blinked rapidly, "But I'm busy –"

"No."

"Rhodey's prosthetics need upgrading –"

"He said he doesn't need a new set of legs every two hours."

"I'm designing new things for SI –"

"Which is why you _need_ to attend the board meeting to tell them what you're even designing so they can mass manufacture it."

Tony's mouth snapped shut. He tried the puppy dog face but Percy remained stoic, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at his antics. The inventor sighed and acquiesced, putting down his tools. He instructed FRIDAY to save all his work and brushed past Percy, grumbling all the while about demonic personal assistants who didn't know how to do their job.

Percy just smiled sweetly at him, "Well, you were the one who gave me this job, so you're stuck with me either way."

Tony sighed, "You are the worst personal assistant in the history of personal assistants. Ever." He groaned.

The demigod smirked, "Not my fault nobody else can put up with your crazy antics for more than a week. Or maybe I'm losing my sanity too." The teen said mournfully, looking to the ceiling in hope.

Tony threw his hand up in frustration and walked away.

* * *

Three and a half weeks after Percy became Tony's personal assistant – because no, he was not going to be the man's chauffeur thank you very much – the teen had a newfound respect for Pepper Potts. It must have taken a hell lot of patience on her part to put up with Tony Stark's patented brand of craziness. Percy had the advantage of being Tony's friend, and therefore had a contractual obligation to tolerate his quirkiness. Well, better than Rhodey's blood pact to fulfilling every duty known to man when handling Tony Stark because of his best friend status.

In the first week alone, Percy had had to pull Tony out of the lab ten times. Each with increasing difficulty. He was thankful for the introductory course material that Pepper had given him – it wasn't a joke, there was even a powerpoint slide and everything – which helped him realize when the genius was merely being stubborn and refusing to emerge aboveground to eat and sleep like a normal person, and when Tony was stuck in a frenzy. When it was the latter, Percy knew better than to disturb him, even though it was a tad unhealthy for the man to keep working non-stop. Now that there weren't any more Avengers, Percy had thought that the engineering frenzy should have died down, but on the contrary, it seemed as though Tony was busier than ever. He had dozens of projects for SI lined up and the projects for Rhodey's prosthetics stacked on top of that.

The only time Percy had ever worked with Tony had been all those time ago in battle. Frankly, the first time he caught Tony working for twenty four hours straight sent alarm bells ringing in his head until FRIDAY told him that it was normal. Percy wouldn't be Percy if he allowed his friend to suffer so he dragged the genius out and fed him.

Honestly, it was like taking care of a pet. A very high maintenance pet.

But still, even with the extra stress that came from just trying to get Tony Stark to _eat_ , Percy enjoyed his new job. It wasn't as though his old one was horrible, it was just that – he'd been fighting for his life since he was twelve, and although he knew that wasn't as horrible as some other demigods (Annabeth), he still felt tired. He was _immensely_ tired of fighting and while as a SHIELD agent he had done some good (hopefully), he still wished to _stop_. This – being Tony's personal assistant – it was different. A good kind of different. It was stressful as hell yes – that was a prerequisite for dealing with the abovementioned man – but Percy _enjoyed_ it. He'd never been an organized person, at least not like the Athena cabin had been, but he could learn, and Percy loved being able to do something other than hold a sword. He reveled in being able to help Tony find his footing and stand up from the hand he'd been dealt with. If anything, Percy knew how it felt when life kept dealing you a shitty hand time after time.

So yes, Percy was happy. Happier than he had ever been since he lost everything in the Chitauri invasion.

But just because he was happy, didn't mean that everyone else was.

Percy knew that Tony missed being Iron Man. Missed stepping into the armor where he felt invincible. He had caught Tony glancing at the blueprints for the suit many times, his eyes flicking towards the panel where the suit was kept behind.

"You know," Percy said conversationally, looking curiously over Tony's tinkering, ignoring the way the inventor's eyes snapped back to his work quickly, picking up a solder that lay beside him, "if you wanna be a consultant, you're gonna end up jobless."

Tony squinted, a mask covering his face as his hands steadily soldered two pieces of metal together, "And why would you say that?"

"Let's see," Percy hummed thoughtfully, "of all the Avengers, there're only you, Vision and Rhodey left. Vision has vanished to the ends of the earth, and Rhodey isn't going to be an active Avenger any time soon." he said, wincing slightly, "That leaves you, and if you tap out to become a consultant, there aren't gonna be any Avenger to consult, hence, you'll be out of a job."

Tony hummed uncommittedly, reading between the lines easily, "You want me to be an Avenger?"

"You already are one."

Tony switched off the solder, placing the metal in a bowl of water to let it cool, "There _are_ no Avengers Percy. At best, I'll be a consultant to whoever's in charge of world security, just like I was to SHIELD. So no, I won't be jobless, sorry to disappoint."

"And can you sit back?" The ex-agent challenged, "Can you lean back and enjoy the view when the world goes to hell? I've seen you stare at the suit when you think nobody is looking. Can you really sit around fiddling with your thumbs when the next bad guy comes into town?"

"Well what else can I do?" The scientist demanded, dropping the tool with a loud clatter, "I'm _one_ man kid, I can't – literally – fight off an army on my own. Flattering that you think I can, but I _can't_. I'm just one person Percy. Besides, I can't be an Avenger when I'm more likely to create the next bad guy than help stop him!"

"Oh come on! How many times – Ultron is _not_ your fault Tony. And if it's the lack of Avengers you're worried about, you won't be alone for long!" Percy countered, "What makes you think that Rhodey won't put on the suit the moment he walks again?"

Tony stared at him, "How about," he said slowly, "the fact that there _needs_ to be a moment when he can walk on his own?"

"What, you think Rhodey isn't going to walk again?" Percy questioned, a frown marring his forehead, "Tony, he's already walking without the help of the parallel bars! Yes, it takes him five times longer now to reach the bar from the couch but at least he's _walking_!"

"Not smoothly enough." Tony muttered under his breath, not intending for the comment to be heard.

Percy spluttered, "Not smoothly enough?" The teen ran a hand through his hair, frustrated, "Tony, it's been six _months_ since Rhodey's spine was lacerated. _Six_. Most people can't even wiggle their toes after a _year_. Tony, what you've done is nothing short of a _miracle_ , and Rhodey knows that. You've built him another set of legs, you've helped him stand again, you learned about the nervous system and how it works in practically a day _just_ so you could discuss the next design with his doctors for Rhodey to regain full versatility!" Percy slapped a hand on the table, "Tony you've literally made an astonishing breakthrough in the community of paralytics, why can't you see that?"

"Because all I see is Rhodey falling thousands of feet from the sky!" Tony snarled. The genius turned to face Percy fully, " _Every_ _time_ I see Rhodey, I see his legs in a brace. I see the way he's unable to run like before, how he has to climb the stairs one by one when he used to take them twice at a time. What I _see_ is the suit plummeting down _thousands_ of feet with my best friend in it. What _I_ see is _Rhodey_ slamming into the ground hard enough to create a _fucking_ crater. _What I see is my inability to catch the two most important people in my life_!" He shouted, panting heavily.

Percy remained silent.

Tony looked away, his nails digging into his palm, "What good is a hero who can't even save the ones closest to him? What _use_ is an Avenger who only destroys the world?"

Tony closed his eyes, not wanting to see the look of realization on Percy's face. He didn't want to see if he'd lost another friend.

"I don't believe that."

Tony opened his eyes in shock. He looked at Percy, who was looking away, his jaw clenching. When the demigod looked back, Tony was stunned by the fierceness in the other man's eyes.

"I _don't_ believe that." Percy ground out. "You're not a liability. Without you, there wouldn't have been any Avengers. Captain America may have led the Avengers, but without Tony Stark, the Avengers wouldn't even _exist_."

Tony recalled Natasha's evaluation – _Iron Man: yes, Tony Stark: no._

"I'm not talking about Iron Man," Percy continued, "I'm talking about Tony Stark. Without you, there would be _no_ Avengers. And not only because you provided the monetary and tech support for them. You're the glue of the team Tony, I could see that even with the limited time we actually sat around and talked."

Tony scoffed, "Some kind of glue I am if the team got ripped apart by me so easily."

Percy snarled in frustration, making Tony step back warily. The demigod forced himself to stay still and calm down. "That wasn't your fault. That's on Captain America. It's _his_ fault for not _listening_ , for running off half-cocked and playing right into the enemy's hands. _He's_ the one who divided the team and forced them to take sides. Not you."

Tony looked at him carefully, "Why do you hate Ste-Rogers so much?" he asked quietly.

Percy looked away, clenching his fists.

"Kid? I made some serious mistakes too with the Accords," Tony continued in the same tone, "Why –"

"Because at least you're working to fix them!" Percy hissed, turning away from the genius, "You realized you made a mistake, and you're fixing it, you're trying to make amends, but that's more than I can say for Captain fucking America. All he's done is make everything worse for any super powered being out there. By running off and chasing after Barnes, he's only condemned all other supers because now everyone is going to think that we're liable to suddenly explode uncontrollably like that. Because of him, now the government will be clamoring for a tighter leash no matter what they tell the public."

"But there's more isn't it?" Tony asked gently.

For once in his life, the billionaire remained silent, waiting patiently for the other man to speak. In all the times he had hung out with the kid, Tony had never _ever_ seen him so still.

"He was my idol." Percy said finally, his voice cracking a little. "I was the weird kid in school. I kept changing schools because of monster attacks – not like I knew it back then. I was scrawny, and the other kids picked on me." The teen snorted, "When you face bullies every single day no matter where you went, Captain America becomes the only source of hope and comfort. I didn't know about the gods, and I didn't care. To me, they were just stories – myths. But Rogers? He was real. We learnt about him in the museums, in our history classes. He was a real man who stood up against bullies even though he was half their size." Percy grinned humorlessly, not that Tony could see it, "Who wouldn't want a hero like that?"

He tilted his head, "I idolized him, wanted to be exactly like him. To fight bullies because they were wrong. It kept me going even when the bigger kids called me names. _He_ was the thing that kept me going, that kept me fighting against my stepfather lost all his money in gambling and took it out on me." He said bitterly.

Tony fought to keep the rage down when the implications of what Percy was saying hit him.

"I was _so_ happy when the news said that they found him alive – because it just made him all the more real. You have _no_ idea how happy I was when I worked with you guys." Percy shook his head, turning back to face Tony, his oceanic eyes dark with rage, "And then the Accords happened. A leader acts in the interest of the majority," Percy hissed, "I _learned_ that the hard way. Leaders are supposed to consider the welfare of their people, not to use their people for their own personal gains. _Captain America_ didn't care about the civilians he hurt, he only cared about his friend. He didn't give a _damn_ to the people he swore to protect because he wanted to protect his friend. He didn't care about how his actions would damn the rest of us, because nothing mattered as long as his _precious_ Bucky was _safe_. I saw the feed of the airport. FRIDAY showed it to me. You asked him to stand down, you were begging for him not to rip the Avengers apart but he just turned and blamed _everything_ on you."

Tony sighed, he had played out that particular memory in his head – and in BARF – countless times, trying to see if anything could be changed. "It was both of our faults kid, he tried to talk to me, but I didn't listen."

" _No_!" Percy snarled, a hand cutting through the air angrily. "I don't buy that bullshit. He had time to pick up so many people after the mess at Berlin, I don't believe he didn't have the time to contact you. He didn't trust you enough to tell you and made the Avengers fight each other. He didn't need to fight, he could have talked, and everyone knows that when Captain America wants to speak, you _listen_ because he'll make you listen."

"So you want to know why I hate him? It's because Steve Rogers is a coward, and a selfish bastard who only thinks for himself." Percy bit out savagely, "He's a hypocrite who only knows how to preach and condemn the sins of others even while he absolves _himself_ of sin."

The enraged demigod whirled and stalked out of the lab, stopping just at the door, "I grew up believing in Steve Rogers, not Captain America, but he's only turned out to be the bullies he always claimed to stand up against."

Tony watched him leave, swallowing down the lump in his throat. Well that explained several things, he thought. The genius chewed on his lip, eyes listing back to the gauntlet on his table. Sighing, he said, "FRIDAY save everything and lockdown the lab. I'm going to get a drink."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Don't own PJO or Marvel sadly...

Percy was immensely grateful that Tony never brought up the issue ever again. It was embarrassing enough that he'd had the outburst in front of the guy. Percy continued arranging Tony's timetable, unashamedly avoiding the scientist for one whole day before he told himself to suck it up. Tony had just thrown a fit – as he always did – when Percy informed him of his three o'clock and grudgingly went up to change when the demigod didn't budge. As he passed, the genius clapped a hand on Percy's shoulder – and that was that. That one small gesture eased the tightly wound ball of anxiety in his chest. When the billionaire swaggered out again, Percy gave him a small, grateful smile.

They both had issues, Tony still wasn't dealing with them, and Percy took his frustration out in the gym. The tower still had the training room that Tony had set up for the Avengers, and Percy often trained there. Whenever there wasn't any SI related things for Tony to do, and Percy managed to drag him away from the lab, the demigod finagled Tony into sparring with him. Of course, the latter grumbled and whined and tried to run away, but Percy just calmly pointed out that since the suit was now out of commission, he would need to know how to fight to defend himself at the very least.

"I _know_ how to fight you know." Tony said mulishly, "I went head to head with the Winter Soldier."

"For about three seconds yes." Percy deadpanned, crossing his arms over his chest. "That wasn't fighting him, it was disarming him. Useful, yes. But not enough." The teen scowled, ignoring the heart-in-his-throat feeling he got when he saw Barnes shoot Tony at point blank range. "If Widow and 13 hadn't been there, you'd be _dead_."

Tony pouted, "I did boxing before."

" _Not_. _Enough_." The ex-agent ground out, "I'm teaching you how to fight, and that's that."

So the sparring session commenced, three times a week, neatly slotted into Tony's already full schedule.

Tony didn't want to admit it, but Percy was a good tutor. He started on the basic stances, trying to get the muscle memory instilled in him before moving on to the various forms of attack and defense. The kid taught him how to use his height and weight to his advantage. A prime example that Percy liked to bring up was Black Widow. She was small, but fast, and used her opponent's weight to her own advantage. Tony wasn't as small as she was – nor as flexible – but he was still a good deal shorter than most people – a fact that Percy pointed out gleefully – and he learned how to deflect strikes rather than block them. Without the armor, his strength was diminished, and against people like the super soldiers, he wouldn't stand for very long if he kept absorbing their strikes.

Not that Tony thought he'd last at all against them but well, if it helped Percy sleep at night…

* * *

_Five weeks later_

"Say," Tony began, causing Percy to look up from his Starkpad curiously, "What were you doing in Korea back then?"

Percy frowned slightly, "…Why?"

Tony shrugged, swiping his finger across the screen, reading intently. "Just curious I suppose, why would you need to do an undercover op halfway across the globe?"

Percy stared at Tony suspiciously, abandoning his Starkpad, "Tony, what do you know?"

Honey brown orbs flicked up to him, "How many heads of HYDRA have you cut off?"

"…I'm going to assume you mean the organization and not the literal hydra." Percy said finally, after several minutes of silence.

The genius shrugged and returned his attention to the tablet. Percy leaned forward and plucked the tablet from Tony's hands, stalling the man's protest. A HYDRA file stood proudly on the screen.

"Last I checked, HYDRA wasn't exactly part of the Accords." Percy said, casting a stern look at Tony, who shrugged unrepentantly.

"I decided to go through the stuff that Widow uploaded onto the Web, since apparently, I managed to miss the entire file about my parents' deaths the first time around."

Percy flicked his eyes downwards, skimming through the file that Tony had opened, the words jumbling up in his vision. "HYDRA isn't gone." The hydrokinetic teen murmured, prompting a round of cursing from the man opposite him.

"What does that even mean?" Tony demanded, "Didn't HYDRA fall when SHIELD did?"

Percy's lips turned down, "Supposedly, that's the public version. HYDRA went underground when SHIELD fell, but they went under too fast."

"Too fast?"

Percy nodded, looking back up, "They disappeared overnight Tony. Disregarding the fractions of the organization that was left when the three Helicarriers fell, and when the Triskelion was taken, the rest of HYDRA disappeared."

Tony frowned thoughtfully, a hand reaching out for the tablet Percy had taken from him, "I thought Pierce was killed as well?"

"Yeah, but they don't call themselves HYDRA for no reason, even if their logo suggests otherwise. All high ranking HYDRA members vanished when the files were uploaded. Every HYDRA operative we've managed to catch are the goons, and none of them are speaking."

Tony leaned back, "You're saying that they just moved underground – well," he amended, "more underground than they already were."

"I'm saying that we don't have _any_ intel on what they're doing _now_." Percy sighed harshly, running a hand through his messy hair, "Korea was a lead, but all I found were goons. Every known high ranking member of HYDRA are either dead or missing. We can't find them, we don't have eyes on them, and we don't know what HYDRA is doing."

Tony looked down at his tablet, "I can see why that's a problem."

He looked back at Percy, "Why did you come with me if you were needed?"

"There's nothing I can do without intel from my boss. Besides," Percy shrugged, "I'm better off helping you." The demigod levelled Tony with a look, "You're still considered an Avenger, and you're alone."

Tony's jaw clenched, he had never considered himself easy pickings, but he could see where Percy was coming from. Politcally, Percy couldn't do much against Ross and his cronies, but that was Tony's playground – he'd grown up learning how to play the crowd after all. If they decided to come for him though – whoever 'they' were in this case – Tony was literally the last Avenger. Rhodey was with the military and Vision was off with Wanda (as if he didn't know where the ragtag Avengers were). It made him glad for the decision to come to the Tower, considering the fact that it was run by FRIDAY and had defense systems that would deter – if not stall – any rogues long enough for him to run (fight).

"Do you want to be an Avenger?" Tony blurted out.

"I – what?" Percy sputtered, his eyes growing wide.

Tony winced, "Sorry. That came out of nowhere. I mean – do you want to? You don't need to – no obligations whatsoever, it's a casual question – you don't have to say yes if you don't want to. I wont fire you, I promise." the genius rambled, lapsing into silence.

Percy stared unblinkingly at Tony for several long moments then looked away, "I – I don't know." He confessed, "Are you planning on reviving the Avengers?"

Tony swallowed, "You were right. I can't – I can't stop being Iron Man. I _don't_ want to stop being Iron Man. And the world needs the Avengers."

"You're planning on bringing the rest back?" Percy asked quietly.

Tony drummed his fingers on the tablet's screen, "You mean Cap and the rest? I don't know. I don't know if they'll ever be allowed back into the Avengers Initiative, but well, there're a few candidates in mind."

"And the Accords? Its not exactly comprehensive right now, there're still a lot of things to amend."

"I was thinking of individual contracts." Tony said, "The Accords would be amended in each contract, to suit the terms and conditions of each person. Otherwise we could draw up extra terms for the rest of our lives and we still won't be done."

Percy nodded. "It's a good idea." He agreed, "But I don't – I don't know if I can be an Avenger." He said softly, "I don't know if I want to be one." Percy looked down at his own tablet, "I like doing this, organizing things for you, being your personal assistant… I've been fighting for as long as I can remember Tony," he said, flicking his eyes to meet Tony's gaze, "I don't know if I want to go back into that life just yet."

Tony nodded, slightly disappointed but understanding Percy's reasons. "Well, just know that the offer is on the table."

The other teen nodded, and the two of them returned to perusing the Accords.

* * *

Things didn't change much, other than the fact that Tony began working on his Iron Man suit once again. He tweaked the suit here and there, prolonged pestering of T'challa had allowed him to get his hands on some Vibranium. Not enough to make a whole suit – but enough to create a new arc reactor. Tony placed the vibranium arc reactor in Rhodey's suit, upgrading War Machine's functions and uploading FRIDAY into the suit's interface. He also installed a backup reactor in the suit, one that would help power the suit if the main reactor was shut down (or blown off). Tony should have done that a long time ago, if he did, then maybe Rhodey wouldn't be relearning how to walk.

He also spent time brainstorming how to include Rhodey's prosthetics in the suit. It would be too heavy if Rhodey wore the prosthetics into the suit, but without the prosthetics, Rhodey wouldn't be able to land properly.

That particular issue nagged at Tony's brain for weeks until his friend made an offhanded comment.

"Why not just incorporate the prosthetics as part of the armor?" Rhodey shrugged, the comment dropping from his lips in the middle of Tony's rant.

The genius paused, then darted forward to crush Rhodey in a hug with a "You're a genius honey bear!" before running off to his lab. He'd incorporated a gauntlet into his watch, he was sure he could incorporate the leg armor into the prosthetics.

 _Perhaps not the whole thing,_ Tony frowned to himself, drawing up schematics, _maybe part of the leg armor?_ He hummed thoughtfully, a hand pinching the hologram and throwing it away, dragging another schematic in front him. He flicked his wrists, enlarging the blueprint. Tony picked at it until he was satisfied, and began creating.

He created the new suit with his old one in mind. Back when Loki had invaded New York, Tony had JARVIS disassemble his suit through the floor, the different pieces of armor disengaging from each other into smaller pieces. He incorporated that technology and combined it with the one he used to create his watch and watched as the magic happened. He made Rhodey a new set of prosthetics, lightweight carbon fiber which was able to lock in with the suit, strengthening the hold on Rhodey's legs – giving him more support – without the added weight and bulkiness of armor over the prosthetics.

It was a long and tiring few weeks, but Rhodey's face when he took War Machine out for a spin was the best thanks he could ever receive. That was counting the bone-crushing hug that Rhodey gave him when he finally landed – slightly wobbly, but on his _feet_ nonetheless.

Percy had waited for them in the tower, but the bright grin on his face just added to the joy that they felt in that moment. Rhodey had been near tears – so was Tony, but he was claiming that it was the wind – and the three of them decided to celebrate. There were a lot more flight tests to be done to improve the stability of the suit, but for now, Tony was satisfied with seeing his friend able to fly again.

"You've outdone yourself this time round Tones." Rhodey grinned, downing a shot, his other hand reaching out for a slice of pizza before his glass even hit the table.

Tony snorted, placing a hand over his heart dramatically, "You wound me sugar, are you saying that every other tech I've created isn't fantastic?"

Percy rolled his eyes, biting into his own slice of pizza, "Don't go fishing for compliments Tony, your ego is already too big."

Rhodey snorted, "I'm surprised that the tower hasn't collapsed under the weight of his ego." The colonel jabbed.

Tony fell backwards on the couch, "Ugh, you guys. Behave Rhodey, or I'll take back the suit." He warned, waving a threatening hand at his best friend.

An explosion threw all of them to the side.

"FRIDAY?" Tony sat up, "FRIDAY what's wrong –"

"Boss," FRIDAY's voice interrupted, a tinge of panic in her voice, "I am detecting intrusions in my system – attempting to override –" she fizzled into static and silence.

The tower trembled on its foundations, their glasses and plates shattering into shards on the ground. Percy got to his feet, remaining in a half crouch to maintain his balance as the building shook with the force of the explosions. He formed a sword of ice in his hand, cursing internally at leaving his own weapons back in his room.

"Tony we have aerial incoming!" Percy hollered, raising a hand up. With a tug in his gut, water burst from the ceiling – he apologized mentally for destroying Tony's piping system _again_ – and formed a sheet of ice that came up just in time to block the projectile. Percy kept reinforcing the ice, adding layer after layer to hold the explosion at bay.

"FRIDAY deploy suits _now_!" Tony shouted, ducking as pieces of the ceiling dropped, smaller – but equally deadly – explosions rocketing through the building.

A burst of static was all they heard, but the walls began retracting, revealing the suits.

"How likely is it that this is one of your experiments?" Rhodey yelled, careening backwards when the elevator door blasted outwards, a swarm of men dressed in black surging forward. The War Machine armor was already locking itself onto him, setting his nerves ablaze with the prospect of a fight.

Tony's own suit was likewise forming over his body. "My experiments are never this destructive!" Tony called back, raising a gauntlet covered hand. The faceplate slammed down, the suit's eyes glowing with the rage that Tony felt "And I would _never_ destroy my Tower." He growled, firing at the intruders.

They scattered, and Percy dropped the ice just in time for the red and gold clad hero to blast out, a grey and silver blur streaking by right after. Percy turned his attention to the swarm of men, glaring at the crest they wore proudly on their uniforms. His knuckles turned white with the way his fingers were clenched around the hilt of his sword.

"Hail HYDRA." They intoned as one, raising their guns, making Percy scowl when he recognized them as Phase 2 weapons.

Percy sneered, "That's an octopus you idiots." Then he attacked.

He dropped to the floor when they fired, avoiding the blasts of energy. The demigod swept a hand, the ice melting into water which slammed into the HYDRA goons. The front row was sent crashing into the back, making them bowl over like a domino. Percy used the opening to dash towards them, a hand at slipping under the weapon, slamming the gun upwards into one of the agents' face. He spun and elbowed another agent in the face, the sound of bone crunching drowned out by the scream of pain when Percy kicked him between the legs.

One HYDRA agent jammed the barrel of the gun in his back, but Percy twisted, hissing when the blast burned his side. He slammed the butt of his sword in the chest, finishing him off with a roundhouse kick to the same area, sending him flying into the other agents behind him. Percy ducked under another gun and slashed upwards, slicing the gun perfectly into half, turning with the momentum that allowed him to cleave another gun into half, his blade cutting deep into the HYDRA agent's vest.

The one good thing about the goons were that they all carried Phase 2 weapons – they were bulky as hell. This made it easy for Percy to slip between the soldiers and take them out. Tendrils of water formed from his fingertips, rapping around the necks of several men. He tugged at the liquid rope, sending them crashing against each other. A sweep of his hand threw the agents backwards, a clench of his fists crushed others in a watery grave, a hand splayed out buried shards of ice in their bodies. Percy whirled around them, knocking their guns off target, the screams of the HYDRA agents ringing in his ears as their own comrades killed them.

A hand wound around Percy's neck, jerking him backwards into a huge, muscular chest. Before he could buck free, several other arms grabbed hold of his and pinned him downwards. Percy thrashed in their grip, his legs kicking out at any and everything that was in his way. At least five agents held him down, and in between the chaos, Percy caught a glimpse of them setting up a machine on the platform outside of the common area. The whine of repulsor jets told him that the machine was meant for Tony – and that alone made him fight harder. Percy snarled and dug deep inside him, feeling for the well of power in his being.

Time slowed down.

He felt the painful tug in his gut, reaching deep for a power he had never dared to try before. Around him, the HYDRA agents brought out chains, intending to tie him down. Percy's vision was swamped in a blue haze. He felt the water that ran through their veins, that was present in their blood and in their whole body. He felt the liquid around him and _pulled_.

The men collapsed as one, their organs torn from the inside out, but Percy ignored all of that, lurching upright. He ignored the black spots that dance din his vision, lunging towards the machine. He screamed a warning to Tony who barely dodged the blast when the machine came to life – the HYDRA agents aiming for the armor clad hero. Percy reached the men at the same time that Tony was distracted another aerial assault. The ex-agent flung a hand out at the two HYDRA agents, twin shards of ice buried in their throats. He formed another sword in his hand, slicing the machine in half. Percy blinked rapidly, trying to clear the spots from his vision, the ground lurching under his feet as he stumbled, dizziness assaulting him. He spun around, feeling a presence behind him. Unsteady and disoriented as he was, he didn't block when the agent fired.

The blast slammed into Percy's chest, the force of it sending him backwards – right over the edge of the platform.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry (not really XD) for the cliffhanger, please leave a review on your way out! I love reviews!!!
> 
> P.S. I've always wanted to write that octopus comment, it gets me every time I look at HYDRA and see the octopus. XD cause as all we PJO and Greek Myth fans know, a hydra has several heads, not several legs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is the next chapter! There will be one more chapter to wrap up this particular story. :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or Marvel
> 
> Enjoy!

Tony flew out of the Tower, twisting in midair to avoid the barrage of projectiles aimed at him. The sinister curls of HYDRA’s logo made Tony snort in amusement even as he glared at it. He hadn’t forgotten Percy’s rants and raves about how HYDRA’s logo wasn’t even a _hydra_ but an octopus, and it just made it even harder for Tony to take them seriously now that he saw the giant octopus on the side of the aircraft. It was clearly something new – definitely not military – and looked like a miniature model of the ship that they’d fished Captain America out of. He wove around the aircraft, dodging fire whilst returning his own. He caught a glimpse of grey and silver streaking behind him, drawing some of the fire away from himself. Tony clamped down on the worry that rose up within him at the thought of Rhodey taking to the air so soon.

The two of them wove around the aircrafts – and where did HYDRA even get all these? – dodging in between blasts. Tony executed a complicated aerial maneuver and fired a repulsor at the engine of the craft. The craft spun uncontrollably and crashed into the side of the tower, shards of glass raining down on the street below. Tony didn’t have the time to spare more than a stray thought for the civilians below before he launched back into battle.

He didn’t know how, but Tony managed to hear Percy’s warning cry and fell backwards, a blast of energy – different from the ones coming from the plane – missing him by a hairsbreadth. Tony would have given Percy a salute – but he was distracted by the fire of another aircraft. The genius hissed and barrel-rolled, avoiding the craft’s fire. Tony turned to tell Percy to get into shelter before he got fried by the aerial assault.

His heart stopped.

Tony hovered in midair, watching, frozen, as a HYDRA agent opened fire on Percy, the kid stumbling backwards – and over the edge of the Tower.

“No,” Tony whispered, fear wrapping its icy fingers around his heart, “ _No_!” he screamed, diving downwards.

All he could see was Pepper – her fingers slipping from his as she fell into a fiery hell, Rhodey – his best friend’s panicked voice, the grey and silver suit crashing into the ground, too far away for him to catch.

Tony pushed his suit harder, _not again_ , he prayed, _please, no, not again_.

FRIDAY came online, and Tony could have sobbed in relief at her voice. “Reroute _all_ energy to the thrusters Fry, _now_!”

His thrusters fired up, and Tony shot downwards – faster, faster, trying to reach Percy– the ground coming up to meet them both.

* * *

 

Rhodey allowed himself three seconds to revel in the joy of being airborne again before he slipped into what Tony dubbed as the ‘Colonel Mode’. He covered Tony’s back, taking some of the fire off his friend and soldier in arms, destroying one of the crafts himself.

As a soldier, he’d always had a good sense of surrounding – it was necessary, you couldn’t concentrate on only one thing on the field. In war, everything was happening at the same time, you couldn’t focus on one enemy and let another strike you down when you weren’t looking.

It took Rhodey 0.3 seconds to realize Tony was gone.

It took him another 0.2 seconds to realize that his friend had dived downwards.

It took 0.7 seconds for Rhodey to realize that Tony was trying to catch someone, and another 0.1 seconds to realize who that someone was.

Rhodey dove after Tony, cutting off the HYDRA aircraft that had trained its weapons on his best friend, preventing them from shooting Tony out of the sky while he was distracted.

Colonel Rhodes was a soldier, he knew that casualties happened in wars (and fights) – he was a prime example of that fact. Rhodey just prayed, for Percy’s and Tony’s sake, that Tony was able to catch the kid.

He didn’t know if there would _be_ any pieces left of Tony to pick up if the kid hit the ground.

* * *

 

 Tony pushed himself faster than he ever had before, his eyes wide in desperation.

“Reroute _all_ energy to the thrusters Fry, _now_!”

_“But boss –”_

“ _Now_ Fry!” Tony snarled, his throat clogging up as he felt a power surge in his thrusters, pushing him downwards faster, faster –

He reached out an armored arm, curling it around Percy’s waist. Tony flipped in midair, trying to get them up before they hit the ground, his suit compensating for the sudden change in direction. His momentum worked against him, and even with his thrusters firing at full power, all he could do was change their direction so that they slammed into the side of his tower and not the ground. Tony curled his body around the kid’s, using his armor as a shield against shrapnel and glass. He cut the power the moment he felt them crash into the Tower, feeling his back break through concrete and plaster, flipping and rolling across the floor. The whole time, Tony hunched over Percy, hugging the teen to his chest in a mockery of a child hugging his favorite toy.

When they rolled to a stop, Tony dared to uncurl, carefully pushing Percy off him, allowing the other man to flop on the floor. His faceplate retracted and Tony glanced at Percy worriedly.

The demigod’s eyes remained closed.

“Fry?” Tony asked, a tremor in his voice.

“Breathing is shallow and heartbeat is slow boss.” FRIDAY intoned softly, “Preliminary scans show several second degree burns on his chest where he was hit. Medical help is on the way boss.”

Tony squeezed his eyes shut, “Rhodey?”

It took several moments before his friend replied breathlessly, “Shit man, did you get him?”

Tony swallowed, “Barely. What’s the status up there?”

Rhodey remained silent for several moments, the sound of repulsor whines and explosions all Tony could hear, “The HYDRA agents on the ground are either unconscious or dead, they’re not attacking and not moving. I can handle the aircrafts, but it’ll be better if you could give me a hand.”

Tony let out a breath, he looked at Percy, his skin a pasty color. He didn’t want to leave the kid alone, not when HYDRA might still be lurking around, but he couldn’t leave Rhodey alone either.

“My sensors are still functional on this level boss, I can inform you when the medical personnel arrive and if there are any complications.”

Tony worked his jaw, “Will you be able to detect them?”

FRIDAY paused, “I failed to identify the intruders due to a virus that was uploaded on my systems. I have managed to isolate and destroy it, as well as create resistance towards the virus, I will not be fooled a second time boss.” The AI stated quietly.

Tony nodded and reluctantly, he stepped back, allowing his faceplate to fall over his face.

* * *

 

_Darkness._

_The wind rushing through his ears._

_Falling._

_Falling._

Falling _._

_Hands grabbed at him, tearing him apart, their claws – nails – raking over his flesh, drawing deep gouges into his skin. A presence – **Perseus Jackson** , it said – grating laughter digging into his mind._

**_The_ hero** _, the voice whispered, harsh as a hurricane, like nails screeching on a chalkboard._

_Falling. He was f_ a _lli_ n _g and there was no_ end _._

_Percy screamed._

He jolted to awareness, a pressure on his arm and restrains pulling him down – dragging him under – preventing him from escaping. He surged upwards, thrashing wildly – _nonononono_ no _let me go, let me_ go – trying to _leave_.

Hands grabbed onto him – _claws raking through his sides, his arms_ – voices blurring through his senses. Something (someone?) covered his mouth – he couldn’t _breathe_ , he was drowning –

He fell back into the darkness.

_(Madness laughed as it dragged him down the abyss)_

* * *

 

He lurched into the light (again), flinching as someone – _who was it?_ – slid closer to him, a hand – _cold, clammy?_ _Warm, safe?_ – rested on his. A voice cut through the murkiness, “Percy, kid, you’re _safe_ ”, but he shook, his arms weak as he tried to lift it.

“You’re safe kid, no one’s going to harm you.”

The voice sounded familiar, and he strained to remember, reaching out for a memory that slipped his grasp like water.

“Shh, that’s it, settle down kid.”

A name flittered in his mind: Tony.

He tested it on his tongue, but only a croak came out. The person pulled away – he shifted, the warmth needed to come back – and returned with blessed, cool balm. The liquid touched his lips and strength trickled back into him. With the ferocity of a tidal wave, his memories crashed back into him.

A whimper escaped his lips, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

“Take it easy kid, I’m probably hypocritical for saying this but you need to rest.”

He trusted that voice, that warmth, and so he let the darkness swallow him again, the brightness of light stamped behind his eyelids.

* * *

 

Touch was the first sensation to come back.

He felt the smooth sheets beneath his fingers, the foam that seemed to cradle his head and the soft mattress that he lay on, and an oddly heavy weight on his left side.

Hearing came next, and his ears registered the slow but routine beep from the machine beside him, the soft hum of the machinery around him.

Percy twitched, blinking open tired eyes. He blinked a few more times before his vision cleared enough for him to register his surroundings. His gaze fell to his side, and his lips twitched when he realized what the weight had been.

“Tony.” He croaked, or tried to, his voice hoarse with dehydration and disuse. He grimaced and tried again, “ _Tony_.”

Percy shifted slightly, hissing when pain lanced up his chest. The sound caused the genius to shoot upright, a hand clamping on his head at the sudden movement. Tony winced, “Ow, never trying that again. Fry, put that on the records.”

The engineer blinked owlishly then leapt to his feet, “Holy crap kid you’re awake! How’re you feeling? Floaty? High? Are you really with me now?”

“Water.” Percy coughed, and Tony scrambled for the pitcher by the bed when FRIDAY so kindly translated for the billionaire.

With more gentleness than one would expect a man like Tony Stark to be capable of, he slid a hand under Percy’s neck, lifting him and supporting him while holding the cool glass to the kid’s lips.

Percy could feel energy slipping back into him the moment the water touched his lips, and he forced himself to take slow sips, not the big gulps that he so desperately wanted. Eventually the whole glass was gone and he shook his head when Tony asked him if he wanted more.

“Should I just pour the whole thing on you? Will that help?” Tony joked half-heartedly, looking concernedly at Percy.

The demigod smirked tiredly, “You could do that, but I’m not explaining the wet sheets to the doctors and nurses. I don’t have the energy to dry the sheets now.” He said in response to Tony’s questioning look.

“The ocean would be the best type of water for me to regain my energy, but I don’t think the docs would allow me to do a skinny dip in the ocean.”

Tony snorted, “They don’t know what they’re missing then.” The genius sobered, “I can get you back to the Tower and dump you in the pool if you want.” He offered, “I built it after you moved in, its only for you cause I told the contractors to make sure it had the consistency of sea water. It’s nowhere near the real thing but…”

Percy blinked, “I – Tony – really?”

Tony nodded, his brown eyes softening when Percy grinned at him.

“I wouldn’t mind that, I really hate hospitals.” Percy huffed, leaning back into his pillow, “But I don’t think I have the energy to even sit up let alone walk out of here. And no, you’re not carrying me, we’re _not_ inducing another PR nightmare. The poor department has enough on their plates already.”

Tony quirked a grin at that, but settled down in the chair he had pulled to Percy’s bedside.

Percy looked at Tony, spotting the dark circles and the haunted look in the other man’s eyes. “What happened?” he asked quietly.

Tony looked down, working his jaw silently, “You fell.” He said simply, two words that had haunted him the past week when he had been waiting for Percy to wake up.

He looked up and met Percy’s eyes, “You – Rhodey and I, we were taking care of HYDRA’s aerial support, and you took care of the ones on the ground. They had some weapon to take out my suit and I didn’t even _see_ it – but _you_ did, and you destroyed it, and everything happened so fast the next thing I knew you were falling over the side of the Tower.”

That was a lie, he’d replayed the whole scene in his mind hundreds of times. The way the blast caught Percy in the chest, the force of it sending him barreling over the edge – BARF was as realistic as it could be. And every time – every time Tony would shut down the program the moment Percy went over the edge.

“You caught me though.” Percy replied easily, his hand resting on Tony’s limp one.

“I nearly didn’t.” he said harshly, “I should’ve noticed the weapon –”

“You had to deal with people shooting at you Tony, the blame doesn’t fall on you, it doesn’t fall on anyone. It was nobody’s fault except HYDRA’s.”

Tony deflated, “Why is it that you’re the one in the hospital but I’m the one being comforted?”

Percy cracked a smile, “That’s cause you’re a big baby.”

The genius snorted, swatting his hand in response.

“Ugh,” Percy hissed, sinking back into the foam, “I don’t understand why I feel so tired when all I did was fall off a ledge.”

Tony flinched slightly at the reminder, but shook away the image, “I think I might be able to help with that.” He commented, sliding a StarkPad from the drawer by the bed. He tapped on the device several times, then turned the screen towards Percy, his eyes solemn.

The text changed into ancient Greek, which FRIDAY had translated for Percy to be able to read more comfortably. The demigod shot a confused look at Tony, then started reading the autopsy of the Hydra goons that had attacked the Tower. The more he read, the deeper the frown on his face became.

“I don’t –”

“You said that the more power you use, the more tired you get right?”

Percy nodded mutely, staring at the report on the screen.

Tony leaned forward, concern evident on his face, “You probably over-exerted yourself, which, coupled with the injury you sustained and then the – well, you know, your body is probably burnt out with all the energy you used up.”

Percy flicked dark emerald eyes to him, suspicion nagging at him, “Did you reach that conclusion by yourself?”

Tony grinned sheepishly, scratching his neck, “Well no not really, one of the docs who looked over you said as much. He was probably referring to the physical taxation of fighting numerous opponents plus the shock of well, falling several hundred feet, but I drew my own conclusions and figured that made sense in regards to your powers.”

Comforted slightly, he relaxed minutely. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Tony (on the contrary he trusted the man with his life), but that didn’t mean that there weren’t people out there who could and would use his friend to get to him.

Percy glanced down at the report again (shredded organs, dehydration) and said softly, bile rising up in his throat, “I’ve never done something like this before.”

“Kid,” Tony said lowly, “It’s not your fault okay? You were knee deep in battle, anything could have happened.” The genius hesitated momentarily then reached forward and curled a hand around Percy’s neck, reassuring the ex-agent with the touch, “If anything, I’m glad that you did whatever you did because otherwise you’d be the one lying in the morgue.”

Percy smiled blandly, “That would be a ton of paperwork.”

Tony nodded his agreement, “Yes, and you know how much I hate paperwork. So be a good personal assistant and stay out of the morgue for me okay? Otherwise I’d have to invent a way to bring back the dead.”

“Just so you can escape paperwork.”

“Yes it’s all in the name of paperwork.”

Percy chuckled softly, wincing as the movement pulled the tender skin on his chest. He felt the lethargy hit him like a truck and his eyelids drooped.

“It’s dangerous Tony.” Percy swallowed, fingers clenching around the tablet.

“Listen to me kid,” Tony said fervently, “We’ll get through this. It’s a new aspect of your power that’s all. You'll learn how to control it and I’ll make sure you don’t accidentally kill anyone because you’re stressed.”

Percy gnawed at his lips, “You should go back to the Tower Tony.” He whispered, blinking heavily.

Tony took the tablet from his hands and shook his head, “That promise goes both ways kid. I’m not leaving you.” He said solemnly.

Percy felt the tension drain out of him completely and thinks he managed a ‘Thanks’ and a smile before sleep claimed him again.

* * *

 

The next morning, Tony was gone when he woke, the StarkPad on the table beside him. With some effort, Percy dragged the tablet to him, reading the autopsy report. Swallowing nervously, he asked, “FRIDAY?”

 _“Yes Percy?”_ Came the light, disembodied voice.

Percy licked his lips, and flicked his eyes to the tablet, “What’s the name of the doctor that Tony was talking about last night?”

A beat of silence, then –

_“He introduced himself as Doctor Light, but insisted that the boss refer to him as Fred.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the story! Please leave a review on your way out! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a review on your way out! :) i love reading reviews!


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